This invention relates to an electronic timepiece, such as a wristwatch, which is capable of effecting an easy, efficient initial time setting.
An electronic timepiece is already known in which a time count value is displayed by digitally counting oscillation clock signals from a reference oscillator, such as a crystal oscillator, which provides an accurate, stable oscillation. The electronic timepiece of this type includes time count circuits corresponding to time units such as a second, a minute, an hour, a day-of-week, a date-of-month, a month data. The time count circuits are driven by reference clock signals from the reference oscillator and time count data corresponding to the respective time count units are displayed on a display device. Such an electronic timepiece assures a very accurate time counting operation which is associated with the oscillation frequency accuracy of the reference oscillator. Therefore, a time counting error is very small, for example, on the order of about 10 seconds and a time count error exceeding a minute will not occur. For this reason, a crystal oscillator type electronic timepiece is rated high as a time count device. However, it is required that the electronic timepiece be set to a correct time at such a time as when it is subjected to a final check for shipment as merchandise or when a new battery is incorporated into the timepiece. That is, a correct time is preset in a time count circuit of the electronic timepiece. A switch for arbitrarily selecting each time count unit is provided, separately from a switch for controlling a normal time count operation, so as to permit a preset value to be inputted into the timepiece. The provision of such a switch requires much time and labor from the standpoint of manufacture, preventing an enhancement of productivity such as an enhancement of a check efficiency in particular. In a compact timepiece such as a wristwatch it is necessary to provide such a switch which is used only when a final check is made for shipment or only when a new battery is put into the timepiece. Furthermore, a cumbersome operation is involved due to the presence of such a switch.
It is accordingly the object of this invention to provide an improved electronic timepiece which is free from the above-mentioned drawbacks and capable of readily effecting a time correction operation.